Printing-machine.



m 0|... .6 V 0 N d e t n e t a P Z l E M E N 0 T S H 'PR INTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

THE uonmi PEYERS cu. mofolgmou WASHINDTPH. n. c.

.Patented Nov. 26, I901.

J. H. STONEMETZ.

-PR!NT|NG MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1899.)

4 sheets -sheet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 687,286. Patented Nov. 26, l90l.

J. H. STONEMETZ.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 13. .1899.)

4 sheetsfsheet 3.

(No Model.)

THE NORRIS PETERS ca. Pnmouma, WASHINGTON. n. cy

Patented Nov; 26; '90-;

PRINTING MAGHINE.

(Appfication filed Mar. 13, 1899.)

4 shuts-sheet 4.

(N0 Modl.)

ZEl sf NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. STONEMETZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIREOI AND MESN E ASSIGNMENTS,

TO ROBERT HOE AND CHARLES W. CARPEN- TER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., OOPARTNERS UNDER FIRM-NAME OF R. HOE & COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,286, dated November 26, 1901.

' Application filed March 13, 1899. Serial No. 708,846- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H: STONEMETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, State of vNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in printing-machines.

The object of the invention is to produce a web-printing machine preferably, though not necessarily, employing a plurality of couples in which one of the members of the printing couple or couples, preferably, though not necessarily, the impression member, shall have an oscillating movement and in which the web shall be fed to the printing couple or conples before printing and away from the couple or couples after printing, but shall be so controlled that it does not move with respect to said oscillating memberor members during the time when the 'printing operation takes place. 7 h

A further object of the invention is toconstruct a webprinting machine preferably,

. though not necessarily, employing a plurality of printing-couples in which'the web shall be continuously fed into and out of the machine and in which suitable devices are provided by which the web is so controlled that it does not move with respect to the oscillating member of the couple during the printing operation.

A further object of the invention is to construct a printing-machine of the class before described and employing a plurality of conples in which the web controlling and guiding devices operating to efiect the delivery of the web after its final printing shall be located between the couples.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for reciprocating the beds of printing-machines employing a flat bed and other analogous machines.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain constructions 'chosen to illustrate the invention and in certain parts, improvements, and com invention, the parts being shown in the position they occupy when the machine is at about the middle of the printing operation. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the same construction as shown in Fig. 1, but with the parts in the position they occupy when the reciprocating movement of the formcarrying bed in one direction is completed.

Fig. 3 is aplan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an end view.

In the machine shown, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, 1 indicates the frame. As the machine which has been is a perfecting-machine, it is provided with two printing-couples. One of the members of each of these printing-couples is an oscillating member, and they are preferably in the form of segments 2 and 3. The other members which cooperate with the segments to form the printing-couples may be of any suitable form. Preferably, however, and in the machine shown they consist of fiat'beds 4- and 5. In the present instance these beds carry the printing-surfaces, which are indicated at 6 and 7, such surfaces being of any of the usual kinds.

, Inasmuch as the machine shown isintended to print on both strokes of the bed, suitable groups of inking-rollers 8 areprovided, these groups being located onboth sides of the oscillating member, so that theformwill be inked on each stroke or half-reciprocation of the bed.

Various means may be provided for operating the form-carriers, which in the present machine are, as before stated, flat beds. 'Preferably, however, the machine'willbe pro-' vided with a central standard or hub 9,mounted upon any suitable supporting-base, as 10. The hub, which is of a relatively large diameter compared with the gear, is provided with a projecting flange 11, the said fiange operating to support a horizontally-arranged annular gear 12. The flange 11 is further preferably provided with a suitable raceway, in which are located antifriction-rolls 13. In order that the annular gear may be securely held in place, the standard is preferably provided with a cap 14:, which may be secured to the central hub or standard in any suitable or desired manner. The annular gear is provided with a suitable wrist-pin 15, the gear being shown as provided with a boss 16 at the point where the pin is secured thereto, the said boss being used for the purpose of strengthening the gear at this point and also for the purpose of providing a longer bearing for the pin. The pin maybe held to the gear in any suitable manner. It is shown, however, as held in position by a nut 17, which engages the threaded end of the pin. Aconnecting-rod 18 extends from the wrist-pin 15, before referred to, to one of the beds, in the presentinstance the bed 5. The connectingrod maybe secured to the bed in anysuitable manner. In the machine illustrated the bed is shown as provided with a plate 19, which is secured to the bed by suitable bolts. Depending from the plate 19 is a stud 20, the said stud passing through an aperture in the end of the rod 18 and the parts being secured in position by a suitable nut 21.

In the machine shown one of the beds is caused to reciprocate the other-that is to say, one of the beds will be reciprocated from the annular gear in the manner described and the other bed will be reciprocated from that bed. Various connecting devices may be employed to effect the reciprocation of the second bed. In the machine shown a connecting-rod 22 is shown as extending from the stud 20 to a similar stud 23 on the bed 4, the said stud forming a part of a plate 24, which is secured to the bed by suitable bolts. A suitable spacing-collar, as 26, may be located on the stud 20, between the ends of the two connecting-rods.

The annular gear before described may be driven in any suitable or desired manner. Preferably, however, it will be driven from a beveled pinion 27, which is mounted on a power-shaft 28, which is driven from any suitable source of power. By using a horizontally-arranged gear all the advantages accruing from drivingthe bed by a crank movement are gained, and at the same time the frame is low and the entire driving mechanism is compact. Moreover, by making the gear annular and mounting it on a central stationary stud of relatively large diameter all the spring in the parts which would be liable to result were the gear mounted on an ordinary vertical shaft is avoided.

The oscillating segments before described may be mounted in any suitable manner. In the machine shown each segment is hung on a pair of supporting-studs 29, which are secured in the frame by nuts 30. The segments may be oscillated in any suitable or desired manner. Preferably, however, each of the beds will be provided with a pair of racks 31, which engage with suitable segmental gear 31, carried by the segments. As the bed reciprocates in each direction, therefore, the segments will be oscillated. A complete correspondence of movement between the segments and the beds is secured by this construction, and it is therefore deemed preferable to constructions in which the segments are oscillated by independent means. It is to be understood, however, that such constructions are within the invention.

The web upon which the machine is to print maybe derived from any suitable source or may be fed to the machine in any suitable manner. Preferably, however, the web will be fed into the machine by a group of continuously-running feed-rollers 32. In the present instance three such rollers are shown; but more or less may be used, if desired. The continuously-running feed-rollers may be driven in any suitable manner. In the present machine they are shown as driven from a way-shaft 33, which is mounted in brackets 33, extending from the frame of the machine, and is provided with a suitable miter-gear 34, which meshes with another miter-gear 35, mounted on one of the feed-rollers 32, preferably the upper one. The other feeding-rollers are provided with suitable intermeshing gears, one of which meshes with a gear 36 on the driven roller. The wayshaft 33 may be driven in any suitable or desired manner. The machine illustrated is shown as provided near its center with a miter-gear 37, which meshes with a miter-gear 38, carried on a vertical shaft 39. The shaft 39 is provided at its other end with a mitergear 40, which engages with a miter-gear all, mounted on the stud 42, which projects from the frame of the machine, the said stud carrying a gear 43, which meshes with a pinion 44 on the power-shaft.

When the machine is provided with constantly-running feeding-in rollers, it will also be provided with constantly-running feedingout rollers. In the machine shown the web is fed out of the machine by a group of @011- stantly-runningfeeding-out rollers 45. These rollers may be drivenin any desired manner. Theyare shown, however, as driven from the way-shaft 33 through a miter -gear 4.6, which engages with a miter-gear 47, mounted upon one of the rolls, the remainder of the rolls being provided with intermeshing gears and being driven from the driven roll.

When the machine is provided with continuously-runningfeeding in and feeding-out rolls, some means must necessarily be employed in connection with the continuouslyrunning feeding-in rolls to take up the paper which is fed into the machine during the printing operation, at which time no web is passingbetween the printing couple or couples, and suitable means must also be provided operating in connection with the continuously-running feeding-out rolls to draw off an amount of Web sufficient to supply these rolls during the printing operation and to give the web up to them as this operation takes place. Such mechanisms as have been immediately before referred to are well known in the artand are generally termed take-up and let off mechanisms or loopers. Any suitable form of take-up and let-off or looper mechanisms may be employed to effect the function before stated. In the machine shown a shaft 48 is suitably mounted in the frame between the feeding-in rollers 32 and the first printing-couple. This shaft is provided with crossarms 49 and 50, which carry cross-bars 51 and 52. The shaft is further provided with a gear 53, which is in mesh with and is rotated by a pinion 54 on the shaft of the driven feed-roller before referred to. In the same way the shaft 55 is located between thesec- 0nd printing-couple and the feeding-out rollers, said shaft carrying arms 56 and 57. These arms carry cross-bars 58 and 59, and the shaft is rotated by means of a gear 60, meshing with a pinion 61 on the shaft of the driven feeding-out roller. Itis obvious that as the shafts 48 and 55 are rotated the crossibars 51, 52, 58, and 59 will alternately engage the web and will first act to form a loop in the same and then release the web.

In machines constructed in accordance with the invention that part of the web which passes around the oscillating segments willbe held stationary with respect to the segments while the printing operation takes place. Various devices may be used in order to so hold and control the web passing to the segments as to effect this result. In the ma chine shown, however, a pair of guides is shown for each segment, the guides for the segment 2 being numbered 62 and 63 and those for the segment 3 being numbered 64 and 65. These guides may be of any suitable form, such as circular bars, as shown in Fig. 2, or flat bars, asshown in Fig. 1, and they may be either secured to the segment and oscillate with it, as shown in Fig. 2, or they maybe stationary, in which case they may, if desired, be secured to the studs upon which the segment oscillates, as shown in Fig. 1. In either case, however, these guides will be located so that the web in passing to and from the segment is led substantially through the center of oscillation of the segment. Additional guides 66, 67, 68, and 69 are also preferably provided in order that the web may be properly led to and delivered from the segments.

With the arrangement of guides just do scribed-that is, with guides so arranged that theweb passes through the center of oscillation of the segments-it is obvious that the loop of the web which passes around the segment will move with the segment; but there will be no tendency resulting from the movement of the segment either to move the web with relation to the segment or to form any slack therein or to cause any undue strain thereon.

While the arrangement of guides shown is the preferable one, i t is to be understood that other constructions are possible by the use of which the web can be led to the segments in such a way that there will be no movement between the segments and the web when the printing takes place. The invention is not, therefore, to be limited to the particular'construction and arrangement of guides which has been heretofore described.

After leaving the feeding-out rollers 45 the web may be disposed of in various ways. Preferably, however, the Web will be led over a bar 70 and between said bar and the slitter 71 of ordinary construction. The parts of the slit web are then preferably led over a web turner and transferrer '72, the bars constituting said web turner and transferrer being suitably supported in the frame of the machine and between-the printing-couples.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Referring to Fig. 2, which shows the parts of the machine in the position they occupy at the time when the beds have completed their movement in one direction and are on the point of reverse, and it being remembered that the feeding-rolls 32 are continuously feeding web into the machine and that the feeding-rolls 45 are continuously feeding web out of the machine, it will be understood that as the segment 3 and its cooperating formcarrier move in the direction shown by the arrow,.the looper carried by the shaft 48 will act to give up web. The web given up by this looper will be drawn through the machine partly by the action of the feedingrolls 45 and partly by the action of the looper carried by the shaft 55. hen, however, the beds and the segments have proceeded to that point in the reciprocation of the beds.

where the printing begins, the webbeing nipped between the segments and the beds can no longer move through the machine. At this time the bar 52 of the looper carried by the shaft 48 is passed out of engagement with the web and the bar 51 has come into engagement with it. At the same time the looper carried by the shaft 55.will stand in a substantially vertical position, the .bar 59 7 being. in engagement with the web. As the segments and beds proceed and the printing takes place the bar 5lwill move dowrv ward, taking care of the web which is fed in by the continuously-running feeding-rolls, and at thesame time the bar 59 moves upward, giving up web to the continuously-rimning feeding-out rollers. The position of the parts at about the middleof the printingoporation is shown in Fig. 1. .Atthe time when the printing operation is completedthe looper carried by the shaft 55 will stand in a horizontal position, or, in other Words, the bar 59 will have passed out of engagement with the web, and the looper carried by the shaft 48 will stand in a substantially vertical position, this bar 51 being in engagement with the web. The beds now reverse, and the operations just described will be repeated.

While the invention is shown as embodied in a perfecting-machine, it is to be understood that it is not limited to a machine of this particular type. It might be used in a machine employing but a single printing-couple and printing on one side of the paper only, or in multicolor machines by the use of proper webcontrolling agencies, and in various other types of printing-machines. It is also to be understood that while the mechanisms shown for carrying out the invention are efiective for the particular purposes for which theyare designed the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction which have been shown and described. Many changes and modifications are possible, and other mechanisms may be substituted for those which have been described, either in whole or in part. The invention is therefore to be regarded as generic in its nature and as embracing all changes and modifications which fall within its spirit and scope.

That I claim is 1. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising a member oscillating about a center and a cooperating member, of means for feeding a web of paper to the couple before the printing takes place, means for feeding the web away from the couple after the printing operation, and means whereby that portion of the web which comes in contact with the oscillating member during the printing operation is held stationary with respect to said member during said operation, substantially as described.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination withaprinting-couple comprisingasegmental impression member oscillating about a center and a cooperating form-carrier, of means for feeding a web of paper to the couple before the printing takes place, means for feeding the web away from the couple after the printing operation, and means whereby that portion of the web which comes in contact with the segmental impression member during the printing operation is held stationary with respect to said member during said operation, substantially as described.

3. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising an oscillating segment and a cooperating reciprocating bed, of means for feeding a web of paper to the couple before the printing takes place, means for feeding the web away from the couple after the printing operation, and means whereby that part of the web which is to come in contact with the oscillating segment during the printing operation is held stationary with respect thereto during said operation, substantially as described.

4. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising an oscillating member and a cooperating member, of means for feeding a web of paper to the couple before the printing takes place, and means for feeding the web away from the couple after printing, the path of the web in entering and leaving the couple being substantially through the axis of oscillation of the oscillatin g member, substantially as described.

5. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising an oscillating segment and a cooperating formcarrier, of means for feeding a web of paper to the couple before the printing takes place, and means for feeding the Web away from the couple after printing, the path of the web in entering and leaving the couple being substantially through the axis of oscillation of the oscillat= ing segment, substantially as described.

6. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-c0uple comprising an oscillating segment and a coiiperating reciprocating bed, of means for feeding a web of paper to the couple before the printing takes place, and means for feeding the web away from the couple after printing, the path of the web in entering and leaving the couple being substantially through the axis of the oscillating segment, substantially as described.

7. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising a member oscillating about a center and a cooperating member, of means for feeding a web continuously into the machine, means for feeding the web continuously out of the machine, suitable take-up and let-off devices, and means whereby that part of the web which is to come in contact with the oscillating member during the printing operation is held stationary with respect to said member during said operation, substantially as described.

8. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising an oscillating member and a cooperating member, of means for feeding a web continuously into the machine, means for feeding the web continuously out of the machine, suitable guides whereby the web in entering and leaving the printing-couple is caused to pass through the axis of the oscillating member, and suitable take-up and let-0E devices located between the couple and the feedingdn means and between the couple and the feeding-out means, substantially as described.

9. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple comprising an oscillating segmental impression member and a cooperating reciprocating bed, of means for feeding the web continuously into the machine, means for feeding the Web continuously out of the machine, suitable guides whereby the web in entering and leaving the printing-couple is caused to pass through the axis of the oscillating segmental member, and suitable take-up and let-off devices located between the couple and the feeding-in means feeding-out means, and means for controlling and guiding the web to the several couples so that that part of the web which comes in contact with the oscillating members during the printing operation is held stationary with respect to said members during said operation, substantially as described.

11. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, each consistin g of an oscillating segmental impression member and a cooperating reciprocating bed, of means for continuously feeding the web into the machine, means for continuously feeding the web out of the machine, suitable take-up and let-off devices between the first couple and the feeding-in means and between the last couple and the feeding-out means, and means for controlling and guiding the web to the several couples so that that part of the web which comes in contact with the oscillating members during the printing operation is held stationary with respect to said members during said operation, substantially as described.

12. In a webprinting machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, each couple consisting of an oscillating member and a cooperating member, of means for continuously feeding the web into the machine, means for continuously feeding the Web out of the machine, suitable take-up and let-01f devices, and suitable guides for causing the web in entering and leaving the couples to pass substantially through the axis of the oscillating member, substantially as described.

13. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, each couple consisting of an oscillating segmental member and a cooperating reciprocating bed, of means for continuously feeding the web into the machine, means for continuously feeding the web out of the machine, suitable take-up and let-oft devices, and suitable guides for causing the Web in entering and leaving the couples to pass through the axis of the oscillating segmental member, substantially as described.

14. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, each couple consisting of an oscillating segmental impression member and a reciprocating form-carrier, of continuously-operating feeding-in means for the web, continuously-operating feedingout means, a looper located between the feeding-in means and the first couple, a looper located between the feeding-o11t means and the last couple, and suitable guides for causing the web as it enters and leaves each couple to pass substantially through the axis of the segmental memberof the couple, substantially as described.

15. The combination with aprinting-couple consisting of an oscillating member and a cooperating member, of a pair of guides for directing the web to and away from the couple, said guides being located adjacent to the axis of the oscillating member, substantially as described.

16. The combination with a printing-couple consisting of an oscillating segmental member and a cooperating member, ofa pair of guides for directing the web to and away from the couple, said guides being located adjacent to the axis of the oscillating member, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a printing-couple consisting of an oscillating member and a cooperating member, ofa pairof stationary webguides located near the axis of the oscillating member, substantially as described.

18. Thecombinationwithaprinting-couple consisting of an oscillating segmental member and a cooperating member, of a pair of stationary web-guides located near the axis of the oscillating member, substantially as described.

19. The combination with a printing-couple, of constantly-running web-feeding devices, a shaft, arms carried by the shaft and extending on both sides of the axis of the shaft, said arms being of substantially the same length, devices carried by the arms for operating on a web, said arms and devices always acting on the web on one side of the couple, means whereby each of the arms is caused to act in succession to take up and let off the web, and means for rotating the shaft, substantially as described.

20. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, said couples consisting of an oscillating member and a cooperating member, of .a delivery device located between the couples and operating to direct the webs sidewise out of the machine, substantially as described.

21. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, said couples consisting of reciprocating flat beds and suitable cooperating members, of means for feeding the web to the couples, means for feeding the web away from the couples, and a delivery device located between the couples and above the plane in which the beds reciprocate, and operating to direct the web sidewise out of the machine, substantially as described.

22. In a web-printing machine, the combination with-a plurality of couples, said couples consisting of reciprocating flat beds and suitable cooperating members, of means for feeding the Web to the couples, means for feeding the web away from the couples, a slitter, and a web turner and transferrer located between the couples and above the plane in IIO which the beds reciprocate, said turner and transferrer operating to superpose the parts of the slit web and direct them sidewise out of the machine, substantially as described.

23. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, said couples consisting, of oscillating segmental members and cooperating members, of means for continuously feeding the web to the couples before the printing takes place, means for continuously feeding the web away from the couples, means whereby the Web is held stationary with respect to the oscillating members of the couples during the printing operation, and a delivery device located between the couples and operating to direct the web out of the machine, substantially as described.

24:. In a web-printing machine, the combination with a plurality of couples, each couple consisting of an oscillating segmental impression member and a cooperating reciprocating bed, of means for feeding the Web to said couples, means for feeding the web away from the couples, means whereby the Web is held stationary with respect to the oscillating member of each couple during the printing operation, a slitter, and a web turner and transferrer located between the couples and operating to superpose the slit parts of the web and direct them sidewise out of the machine, substantially as described.

25. The combination with a plurality of beds, of a stationary standard, an annular gear mounted to rotate on the standard, a wrist-pin on the gear, a connecting-rod directly connecting one of the beds and the wrist-pin, and connections between the two beds, substantially as described.

26. In a printing-machine, the combination with a printing-couple, of agroup of continuously-operating feeding-in rollers, a group of continuously-operating feeding-out rollers, a looper located near the feeding-in rollers, means whereby the looper is driven from one of said feeding-in rollers, a looper located near the feeding-out rollers, means whereby it is driven from one of said feeding-out rollers, a way-shaft, and means whereby the feedingin and feeding-out rollers are driven from said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. STONEMETZ.

'Witnesses:

F. W. H. CRANE, LOUIS Ronnm. 

